No one said defending a Super Bowl title was easy.

Our look at the sad story of the 12 defending champions who missed the playoffs the following season tells you all you need to know about that:

1968 Green Bay Packers (Record: 6-7-1)

Vince Lombardi stepped aside as head coach after nine seasons, and replacement Phil Bengtson was left to coach an aging team in transition. QB Bart Starr missed time with an arm injury, and the team struggled against Central Division opposition.

1970 Kansas City Chiefs (7-5-2)

No AFC team notched fewer first downs and attempted fewer passes than the close-to-the-vest Chiefs, who faltered late in the season.

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

The Steelers lost their way after a 4-1 start, enduring bouts of inconsistent play thereafter. The aging defense struggled mightily at times, particularly against the pass. And injuries came in waves.

1981 Oakland Raiders (7-9)

Oakland's biggest problem was an offense that completely came apart in a three-game stretch early in the season, failing to score a single point and putting the club in an early 2-4 hole. QB Jim Plunkett and OG Gene Upshaw were among those benched as head coach Tom Flores searched for answers.

1982 San Francisco 49ers (3-6)

Head coach Bill Walsh insisted his team struggled to handle success after winning Super Bowl XVI. Injuries were also a big problem as QB Joe Montana, DE Fred Dean and OG Randy Cross played hurt in the strike-shortened season. Even worse, Walsh believed some players might have a drug problem; the head coach cut LB Craig Puki after he admitted seeking treatment for cocaine abuse.

1987 New York Giants (6-9)

The Giants started 0-5, with three losses coming during the 24-day players' strike. Even when the Giants had their regular roster on the field, they could not recapture their winning form, blowing four fourth-quarter leads and struggling to run the ball.

1988 Washington Redskins (7-9)

The defense was socked by injuries, and opponents attacked by passing on them with ease. Also, the Redskins' running game was feeble, with Super Bowl XXII hero Timmy Smith struggling mightily and the O-line showing its age.

1991 New York Giants (8-8)

They called the '91 Giants "Team Turmoil," and with good reason. Head coach Bill Parcells, who, in the words of the late Joel Buchsbaum, saw a letdown coming "every time he went into the nearly deserted weight room during the offseason," resigned after the '91 draft. New coach Ray Handley named QB Jeff Hostetler the starter, but the offense struggled all season. Phil Simms replaced an injured Hostetler late in '91 but only won 1-of-4 starts.

1999 Denver Broncos (6-10)

The retirement of QB John Elway and injuries to RB Terrell Davis and TE Shannon Sharpe rocked Denver. The Broncos started slowly with rookie Brian Griese under center, and the injuries mounted, none greater than the one suffered by Davis, who was never the same after tearing two knee ligaments.

2002 New England Patriots (9-7)

The Pats could neither consistently establish the run nor stop the run. However, even as they faltered, the groundwork was being laid for a quick revival, as QB Tom Brady proved he was no fluke.

2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)

Little came easy for Tampa. The running game faltered. WR Keyshawn Johnson quarreled with head coach Jon Gruden and was a healthy scratch for the final six games. The defense was good, not great, and by the following offseason, stalwarts S John Lynch and DT Warren Sapp were gone.

2006 Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)

QB Ben Roethlisberger was never quite himself after an offseason motorcycle accident and a bout of appendicitis. Also, questions about head coach Bill Cowher's future swirled all season. Pittsburgh started 2-6 — turning the ball over at least twice in each loss — and was left to play spoiler down the stretch. The Steelers went out winners in Cowher's final game but didn't take much of the sting out of an unsatisfying title defense.

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com.